<div dir="ltr"><ol style><li style><ol style><ol style><ol style><ol style><ol style><li style>Humbly, let me suggest that God's connection with us is the basic mechanism of Torah and Mitzvoth. Active "Chai" meaning going both ways and reacting is the key description of God. </li>
<li style>The active and repeated even continuous intercession by Hashem is the basis of Tefila. It is the Connection with God as an ongoing "unit/gestalt/dyad" that is basic Judaism. hashem's intercession is the basis for the Relationship. </li>
<li style>Locate the epicenter! Look in Jewish history, for the very basis and bedrock foundation words. Build the Tower of Judaism on the following Pasuk. Here is where the Connection is most expressed. Here is a transcendental expression of the powerful connection Am Yisrael has with Hashem: </li>
<li style>UKVOD HASHEM MALEH ES HAMISHKAN.</li><li style>God's Glory filled the Mishkan. </li><li style>===The great majority of Jews cared that The Glory of HVHY should fill the Mishkan - specifically the Divine Fire should consume the Korbon in the Dedication of the Mishkan; Eliyahu demonstrated that the Divine Fire ate the sacrifices on Har Hakarmel.</li>
<li style>It showed - that Hashem cares and is deeply involved in caring for his people. </li><li style>Just like a new-born does not question why his mother's Yichus - - the mother is there, the mother is the entire world. Only a grown up adult and independent being, suddenly realizes that "my parents are unique and special individuals". That is a weak metaphor I admit. . </li>
<li style>The Child has one question - is my mother here? If I call will she come? Who will feed me? </li><li style>They will never arrive at anything near Rav Saadya's problems, much less their solutions. They are well into REM sleep in the Table of Contents. Only the Rambam's dearest students are still avidly listening to Part 3 Chapter 51..7 of the Moreh. Only there does the Rambam allow picturing the One. </li>
<li style>Rashi's Ehkeh - is that I care and will be there for you again and again. Rashbam's idea of Hashem is one - based on what it says in Rashbam al hatorah - means he focuses on us with complete dedication. We need not look for any other Power or SuperPower to save us. </li>
<li style>A Non-Covenantal - also located outside the borders called Eretz Hakodesh - not growing crops in Eretz Hakodesh - that "non-covenantalist" can with good conscience expect help from Other Powers besides the One. </li>
<li style>For a Jew - a Ben Bris - that would be Treason - Stoning doesn't begin to fit the crime. </li><li style>In the teeth of the inquisition, Rashba moderated a bit. </li><li style>Rashba in Chidushim al Hahagados is but a thin little section in the Blue set of Rashba from Mosad Harav Kook. Likely it was one of the most widely copied and read works in the Sephardic world. To explain the idea of the Jews prior to Yetziat Mitzrayim. The RASHB"A - apologetically advances that line of thought. What is betrayal and treason for the High Officers of teh Palace - is not a venal act when performed by the guards in a far off outpost. They are not the Ro'ei Pnei hamelech - the intimates of the Palace. </li>
</ol></ol></ol></ol></ol><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></li><ol style><ol style><ol style><ol style><li style><br></li><li style>RSG saw the One as identical or similar to the Perfect. Being of philosophical ideas. </li>
<li style>Some interpreted RSG as believing that the Oneness is a Perfect Being. The Perfect One - indescribably perfect and One - was also isolated - He was so perfect in fact that He created a liaison, called Kavod or Kvod HVYH. The One remains immutable and unapproachable. Any tzimtum comes by his command to the createe called "Kavod". This nivra, the real Step-Down Unit, is on the Throne as described in Maaseh Merkava. Kavod Nivra was able to connect with the material world. This allows the Great Oneness to remain Ideal. Admittedly, this is an over-simplification, but quite a popular one. </li>
<li style>==The idea that the Jew is commanded to mend Hashem's broken Unity - again I over-simplify lest I flutter away and The Creation called Man has the power to reverse engineer Hashem's Oneness - and talk casually about it - is much more of a "Mahapchani" doctrine than we give it credit for. We hide behind the Great Rabbis of old - who did run a Repair Shop. \</li>
<li style>The Chasidei Ashkenaz - specifically Rav Yehudah Chasid as explained by Rokei'ach - claimed they discovered RSG and now became devoted followers. Baalei Teshuvah Saadayanites. </li><li style>Until further notice - Saadyanites - or whatever the moniker - say Hashem Echad hashem is unreachable. It is not comprehensible in material terms. </li>
<li style>So why and how is it uniquely Jewish? Only the Jews really believe it and live by it. </li><li style>The simpler meaning of that is that the One is above our ability to affect Him. </li></ol></ol></ol></ol></ol>
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